Author Archives: admin

With the news headlines over the past few weeks, I’ve been approached by people with questions. They want to know about the future of solar, the impact of potential energy policies, and where I see the solar industry headed. While I’ve been to many inspiring events previewing exciting solar developments, I’ve been surprised by some of the recent conversations I’ve had with people who do not support clean energy. This is a newer trend, and something that is, unfortunately, often not based on facts. Here’s why solar still makes the most sense as an energy solution, and why it’s more important than ever to invest in sustainability.

Your Most Efficient Path to Power

One concern that sometimes arises is subsidies for clean energy. We’ll be comparing subsidies for various types of energy in another post, but let’s explore this briefly.

Solar energy in our area is at grid parity right now, meaning it is just as cost effective as traditional fossil fuel power from the grid. A solar energy system creates clean energy every day for 30 years and beyond, with minimal maintenance required. Take away all the subsidies and the system pays for itself in 11 to 14 years. This payback could occur even more quickly (within 7 to 10 years) if we removed all the utility and local municipality regulations required to install a simple PV system on a house.

Solar PV is already competitive and will only become more so. Yet some still insist it takes too long to pay back. Let’s flip the argument. If everyone currently had solar power and you offered to sell someone air-polluting fossil-fuel electricity at twice the cost of solar power, the person would say no way. There’s no disputing the inherent efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness of solar energy.

Energy in the News

Why am I mentioning all this? Because the recent news in national politics has me thinking…

December 7: New York Times: “President-elect Donald J. Trump has selected Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma attorney general and a close ally of the fossil fuel industry, to run the Environmental Protection Agency.”

December 8: Bloomberg.com: “The transition team has asked the agency to list employees and contractors who attended United Nations climate meetings, along with those who helped develop the Obama administration’s social cost of carbon metrics, used to estimate and justify the climate benefits of new rules.”

December 13: CNN: “President-elect Donald Trump has chosen ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to serve as secretary of state, the transition team announced.”

We are at the front lines of a battle for the future. The clean energy industry is not going away, because it is the most logical, cost-efficient, safe, healthy and sustainable way for all of us to move forward as a civilization. Other countries are investing in the future of solar, diving headlong into this industry. The US will forfeit its position as a leader in this new clean-energy economy if it continues the types of decisions mentioned above.

“The clean energy industry is not going away, because it is the most logical, cost-efficient, safe, sustainable way for all of us to move forward as a civilization.”

A Personal Imperative

One thing stood out at the recent On-Site Power Conference I attended: there was no mention of climate change. In some respects, I can understand this. When I first started SunBlue Energy in 2009, I would rush past the environmental benefits page of each sales proposal. I knew then what has proven to be the case. People go solar because of the financial benefits it offers. The environmental benefits may be very important or not important at all to the homeowner. In any case, the homeowner’s final decision is always a financial one. It only makes sense. What has changed for me is that I’ve learned the tremendous impact one simple act can have on the earth we inhabit. So, as we discuss the future of solar, I encourage all of us who are together under one sun to take this battle seriously.

Consider the earth and what your legacy will be. You will never regret having gone solar. You may regret standing silent when those in power pushed to stunt the growth of clean energy.

This past week I went to a conference focused on on-site power. It was an incredibly informative conference that looked to meld the worlds of solar PV, CHP (combined heat and power) and storage. The three technologies together make for a new vision of energy. In fact, this was the entire focus of the conference – New York State’s new Reforming Energy Vision (REV) program. It is highly important work that New York State and all New York companies are doing to take a step back and see how we can update our grid and access/create energy so that it fits our twenty-first century needs. Click here for more information.

Here is a short summary of how these power strategies work — and how they can work together.Read More

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. And one of the most expensive. Between the gifts, travel, and all those many, many lights, it’s a wonder anyone survives the holidays without a second mortgage. While we may not be able to help with your kid’s Christmas list or your uncle’s gas guzzler parked in your driveway, we can offer a few suggestions to lower your holiday electric bill. Follow these tips to keep your days merry and bright — and inexpensive! Read More

Happy Holidays from SunBlue Energy! As our gift to our loyal friends and customers, we’re giving away two VIP tickets to an upcoming game of the Westchester Knicks! These premium midcourt seats even include dinner! Don’t miss your chance to win!

November is a time of reflection and gratitude. At SunBlue Energy, we’re thankful for many things… including the generous federal and NY solar tax credits that allow so many of our customers to enjoy the savings and independence of solar energy! Wondering what credits and incentives are available to you? Here’s a quick summary. But act fast — these great deals won’t last forever! Read More

Many of us are lucky enough to have never thought much about where the basic things in our lives come from. We turn on the faucet and water comes out. We go to the supermarket and have endless options. We flip a switch and the lights come on. Behind that switch is a world that tends to stay invisible. It is a world of laborers, engineers, technicians, and drivers; of dams, coal mines, nuclear reactors, oil fields, gas lines, and incinerators. Increasingly, it is a world that includes scaled-up solar power and wind. Even in those cases, the energy being produced is out of sight and mind for its users. Read More

With all the mudslinging and controversy surrounding this election, it may feel like it doesn’t matter whoyou vote for. But when it comes to energy policies, not all candidates are created equal.

The energy policies proposed by the current presidential candidates can have a long-lasting impact on your life and the environment. Your electric and gas costs are influenced by the president’s decisions and views, so it’s important to understand what the candidates have in mind if they take office.

The solar industry is growing and does not seem to be slowing down! Americans are aware that renewable energy hosts a long list of environmental benefits but solar energy is now more than ever a driving force in job creation in the United States. As unemployment falls to the lowest it’s been since 2007, Americans can look to the solar industry for a booming job market.

Here at SunBlue Energy our motto is “Think Solar…Think SunBlue.” We want to thank you for always thinking of us and reward you generously. After all, we believe that a referral is the best compliment of our work that we can receive.

Many of you have been referring your friends and family to us for years. That’s why we’ve made it easy for our customers to share our services – and earn $500 in the process!

It’s now easier than ever for you to send us referrals and get paid using the GetTheReferral.com App!

I originally said this as a joke, because of the number of calls we receive from customers who have existing systems that were originally installed by other solar companies. Not only is SunBlue Energy the highest-rated solar installer in Westchester, NY, but we are also called on again and again to service other companies’ systems. We assist local village halls, schools, homeowners and commercial clients by upgrading or adding modules to existing systems. Read More